


Greatest Treasure

by SasuNarufan13



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established slash, Fluff, M/M, Naruto leading a fox sanctuary, OC POV, Suspense, Time Skips, Yakuza Sasuke (yes we're back to that because my mind won't let go of it sorry), double pov, mature content, short torture scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27883804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: Akitomo is surprised when instead of guarding the boss, Uchiha, he's assigned to guard his boss' partner instead. He sees no issue with it until N. approaches him with an offer: work for him instead and get paid a lot more. All he has to do, is bring Uzumaki to him ...
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 98
Kudos: 313





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: This is an idea I came up with this week and I decided to work on it as a bit of self-indulgence instead of working on other ideas. Because to give you a hint as to how 'well' this week went: I managed to cut my finger today whilst squeezing out a liquid treat for my cats, so yeah ... A bit of self-indulgence here if you don't mind.
> 
> This will be a two part, because as always my brain doesn't know when to shut up and I wanted to post something today (again, me being self-indulgent)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.
> 
> I hope you'll like this first part! (And that you're not bored yet of my yakuza themed fics *coughs*)

**Part 1**

When the announcement came that the boss was looking for a personal guard, that was the best day of Akitomo's life so far. Becoming his personal guard meant a significant pay rise and came with a certain privilege that the normal guards didn't get.

The hiring process was gruelling, encompassing both theoretical exams as well as practical ones, including knowing how to handle both a gun and knives for some reason. The candidates were even tested on their knowledge about poisons and antidotes which had weirded him out at first until he realised that given Uchiha's high position in the underworld – and the normal world because even his more common business partners didn't always like how successful he was – it could happen that someone would try to poison him, forcing his personal guard to react fast.

Their endurance was tested by how long they could run and how fast, followed straight by a test about their first aid skills. Another day had their fighting skills being examined by the best of the best in the company, which already saw the amount of applicants decimated in half because they couldn't quite make the cut.

By the end of the week he felt dead on his feet and his head too empty yet too heavy at the same time. None of the tasks had been easy, but the thought of earning a pay raise and the extra prestige that could be his had been enough to push him through the entire week. Tomorrow they would be invited to the boss' office where they would be informed whether they had got the job or not.

That night in spite of the exhaustion and muscles screaming in protest, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

They were gathered in a large conference room, awaiting the moment their name would be called. None of the ones who went in before him returned, so Akitomo thought it was safe to assume that after the conversation they would be led outside through another door.

"Kurayami Akitomo," a lanky, white haired man announced, not even looking up from his clipboard.

Akitomo recognised him as one of Uchiha's closest guards; a man named Hozuki Suigetsu. He had sat in during several of the examinations last week, but hadn't said a word to them, save for the occasional smirk as if something had particularly amused him. That seemed to be his general disposition; whenever Akitomo saw him in the building he was either smirking or laughing, seeming to delight in pestering one of Uchiha's other guards, a red haired woman named Karin.

Perhaps if the gods were finally on his side, he would soon be able to call himself one of their own …

Hozuki led him to an office on the other end of the hallway, one which bore the nameplate ' _Uchiha Sasuke. CEO_ ' and the moment Hozuki pushed down the doorknob, Akitomo's stomach twisted and churned uncomfortably as he realised this was it, now he would get to hear whether he had performed according to Uchiha's high standards or not. He thought he had, but it also wasn't a secret that Uchiha had very high standards and that very few were able to meet them.

The man in question was seated in a large leather chair, absorbed in a file. Karin was leaning against the windowsill; her arms crossed underneath her breasts, pushing them up a tad. The shirt she wore was very tight and on the edge of too revealing and he had to tear his eyes away before it became too obvious that he was ogling her.

Uchiha's last guard stood in the corner, his arms behind his back and his face as blank as a paper. He was a broad shouldered, tall imposing man and looked like he could crush a skull with his bare hands.

As a matter of fact all three guards looked lethal in their own way, like one wrong move would set them off. Even Karin didn't look like someone easy to mess with and when she caught his gaze, she offered him a shark like grin, which did absolutely nothing to calm his nerves.

"Kurayami Akitomo?" Uchiha looked up, regarding him coolly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Take a seat." Uchiha gestured at the lonely chair in front of the large desk and Akitomo sat down hastily, resting his hands on his lap before he could start fiddling with them.

Turning a page in the file, Uchiha began almost bored, "According to your file, you scored exceedingly high in several of the assignments, both physical and mental ones. They were definitely impressed with your endurance."

"Thank you, sir," Akitomo said tentatively, uncertain whether he was supposed to say something to that. It did make him feel good, though, knowing that he had managed to impress the examinators.

That had to mean something good, didn't it?

"You've trained in martial arts before?"

"Yes, since I was ten," he replied. Back then he hadn't thought he would end up working as a guard; he had just thought it would be cool to know how to defend himself and it had been a great outlet for his excess energy.

Uchiha closed the file and folded his hands on top of it; his dark eyes piercing as they regarded Akitomo. As intense as they were, they were also unreadable which made Akitomo more nervous.

"If you were to get the job, that would entail you working at odd hours at times," Uchiha said. "Sometimes until deep in the night or very early in the morning. You would receive time off, naturally, but most of your life will revolve around your guard duties. Are you willing to sacrifice so much of your life? It would be completely different from the work you've done so far."

"Yes, I'm willing," Akitomo said immediately, confident in spite of his nerves.

He knew it would be completely different from the work schedule he had now. Even though he was a guard, his shift finished at six in the evening every time, bar the occasional double shift. If he got this position, there wouldn't be much left of his free time he assumed. On the other hand, the new position, while more work, would also mean a boost in his wages and the high position meant he wouldn't get bossed around anymore by other senior guards. In fact they would have to listen to him then, which had him masking a smirk just in time.

Yes, the prestige and the generous pay would definitely make up for the less than ideal working hours.

He met Uchiha's gaze head on and the other man nodded slowly, waving his hand at Karin.

"Well, given your high score and your dedication to the company, I've decided that you'll receive the position."

Immediately Akitomo bowed his head, barely able to contain his grin. "Thank you, Uchiha-sama! I won't disappoint you!"

"See to it that you don't," Uchiha said sharply before looking at Karin. "Karin, I'll leave you to it."

"Yes, Uchiha-sama," she smiled and the smile turned wicked when she looked at Akitomo.

He couldn't help but eye her nervously, wondering what exactly she was planning.

"Come on, Kurayami, time to introduce you to the one you'll be guarding," she said, walking over to the door.

"Erm, am I not supposed to guard you, Uchiha-sama?" Akitomo asked confused, but stood up nevertheless; his eyes shooting back and forth between Karin and their boss.

Uchiha raised an eyebrow. "No, I have no need for a fourth guard. My partner, however, does, which is why I opened a position for it. Is that a problem?"

"No, sir, no problem at all," Akitomo answered hastily.

But as he bowed one last time before following Karin out of the office, he couldn't help but feel completely stumped. Uchiha had a partner?

* * *

As far as he was aware of, nobody in the company knew Uchiha was in a relationship. Even though it had never been explicitly stated, all of them had just assumed Uchiha was single because they had never seen him close with anyone.

Who was this mysterious partner? What kind of woman was she to have attracted Uchiha's attention and be able to keep it to the point of being protected by her own personal guard? Was she part of their world? That had to be, because how else would Uchiha explain the presence of a personal guard?

It probably was a model, he reasoned as he and Karin were driven to the place Uchiha's partner was living at with their boss. Apparently it was a house at the outskirts of the town, which only further confused Akitomo, because how could they have possibly missed their boss being in a relationship when they were at the point of living together?

"What kind of person is she?" he finally dared to ask when the driver parked their car in front of a beautiful house, that quite frankly bordered more on looking like a manor than a regular house.

He hadn't expected anything else from someone as rich as Uchiha.

Karin started laughing and got out of the car, forcing him to quickly follow. "She? Drop the s," she said amused and when he stared at her confused, she snorted. "It's not a woman, but a man."

"Wait, a man? Uchiha-sama is gay?" Akitomo blurted out surprised.

The dark haired man didn't appear to swing that way at all, but then again, it wasn't like Akitomo knew him that well. Still, his boss was gay? When he could have all the women in the world?

"I don't know whether he's gay, bisexual or whether he just doesn't care," she said bored and flipped her hair back. Even though she was walking on high heels, he had a hard time keeping up with her as she practically marched towards the front door.

"Either way, he's together with a man and you'd do your best to respect that," she said and looked at him warningly. "The second Uchiha-sama feels like you're being disrespectful, you won't like how he'll react, understood?"

"Completely!" he said hastily, concealing a grimace. He definitely didn't want to know what would happen if Uchiha got angered.

Still, a guy? How had that happened?

Instead of ringing the doorbell, Karin unearthed a key from somewhere and unlocked the door, waving him in. He eyed her dubiously, thinking it was weird that she just entered without any warning, but followed her anyways.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto," Karin told him briskly, leading him towards a large staircase, not even giving him a chance to take a look around. "He leads a fox sanctuary just a few miles from here and depending on the needs of the animals, he'll be there until late in the night or very early in the morning, so you'll have to be standby whenever you're on duty."

Ah, that explained why the schedule was so odd. A yakuza leader/businessman with someone who led a fox sanctuary, though? How the hell had that even happened? How had they managed to meet when their worlds were so different?

"Most of the time you'll remain in the background while Uzumaki-sama is at the sanctuary," she continued, her heels muffled by the carpet on the landing. "When he goes out, however, to the inner city or even to the store, you need to be on your guard in case some people become a tad too close to him. Uchiha-sama really doesn't like it when people are too pushy when approaching his partner."

"So I need to keep everyone away from Uzumaki-sama?" he asked for confirmation, frowning slightly. That seemed like a rather stifling relationship if that was true.

"Oh, of course not, only people who you suspect have less than good intentions with Uzumaki-sama," she said airily and waved her hand. "But be aware that Uzumaki-sama also easily makes friends, so make certain you don't offend him by keeping the wrong people away from him."

"If he makes friends so easily, how am I supposed to know who to keep at a distance?"

She flashed him a grin filled with dark amusement. "I leave that up to your discretion."

She was waiting for him to mess up, he just knew it. Probably was not telling him enough on purpose to find out whether he was actually suitable as the personal guard to the boss' lover or not. Well, he would show her and the others that he was more than up for this task.

As they walked further into the hallway, passing several doors and a couple of scenery paintings, he became aware of two voices, both belonging to men. They seemed to be in the room at the end of the hallway, because the door was slightly ajar and there was faint light flickering across the floor as if they were watching television.

Or playing a videogame as Akimoto quickly discovered.

"I can't believe you're so shit at playing videogames," one man guffawed.

"It's just not my type of game," the other man grunted unamused.

"No, I guess with your old man mentality, you'd rather play shogi, huh? That's more your style, right?" the first man snickered.

"Now you've offended my sensibilities," the other man sighed, but didn't sound particularly bothered.

"I thought you didn't have any of that left after getting together with Temari?"

"Don't let her hear you say that. She'll kick your arse," the man warned him darkly.

"Oh please, she likes me."

"Yes, because you make her little brother less psychotic."

"Gaara's not psychotic! He's just not – a people person, that's all," the first man sniffed.

"Sasuke's not a people person either, yet he can be charming."

Sasuke? Akitomo's eyebrows rose up. Who was this man that he was close enough to refer to their boss with his first name? Family?

"The bastard's worse than Gaara. Besides Gaara can be charming too," the first man argued.

Who was he to call their boss a bastard so freely?

"Not to me at least."

"Of course not to you, you're the one fucking his sister!" The first man started laughing.

By this point he and Karin had arrived at the door and she rapped her knuckles against it once before opening it without even waiting for a reply.

"I see you're having fun," she grinned, walking inside.

Akitomo followed closely, his gaze first drawn towards the television where some type of race game had been paused before his eyes landed on the two men on the couch.

The one on the right had dark brown hair which had been put up in a spikey ponytail and was dressed in dark trousers and a simple brown sweater. He appeared rather lazy with how slumped he sat in the couch, but his dark eyes were sharp and alert when they regarded Akitomo.

Next to him a blond man was seated with the brightest pair of blue eyes Akitomo had ever seen in anyone. He still had a faint tan even though they were approaching mid-autumn and faint whisker like scars on his cheeks which crinkled when he grinned. He was dressed in what had to be the brightest orange shirt Akitomo had ever been unfortunate to witness and his light blue jeans were torn around the knees. He was sitting cross-legged and had one of the consoles still in his hands.

"The bastard could have sent worse people to babysit me," the blond man snorted, bending forwards to place the console on the small table.

"Oh ouch, I feel so loved," the other man deadpanned and stood up. "I gather the position is finally filled?"

"Yes, Shikamaru, Uzumaki-sama, this is Kurayami Akitomo, Uzumaki-sama's new guard," Karin introduced him.

He bowed respectfully. "It's nice to meet you."

"How many times do I have to tell you to drop the -sama and just call me Naruto?" Uzumaki sighed, running his hands through his hair, messing it up even further.

She smirked; her crimson eyes glittering. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki-sama, I'm not allowed to call you that, per Uchiha-sama's orders."

He squinted his eyes. "Bullshit," he snorted and crossed his arms. "You're just enjoying how much it annoys me to hear you call me that."

She inclined her head; her smirk deepening. "There is that detail as well, I can't deny. You might as well get used to it, Uzumaki-sama. That's not going to change as long as you're together with Uchiha-sama."

He huffed, leaning back in the couch. "We'll see about that," he muttered darkly. "I'll get you to call me by my first name even if it takes me years."

Her smirk softened to a smile for the barest fraction. "I'm certain Uchiha-sama will be most pleased to hear that."

"Ha! Yeah, he would be pleased with that, all right, possessive bastard that he is!" Uzumaki said and wrinkled his nose.

"Well, now that that is settled, I'm going back to the office," Shikamaru announced, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"You're just running away because I'm wiping the floor with you in the game," Uzumaki grinned.

"If that makes you feel better, by all means, believe that," Shikamaru retorted and after a nod, he left the room, letting the door fall close behind him.

"Well, I have to go back too, so I'm going to leave Uzumaki-sama in your hands," Karin said and her eyes narrowed slightly when she added, "Oh and Uzumaki-sama, the candidates were tested on their endurance as well. Don't think you'll be able to escape this one."

Uzumaki grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. "Eugh, he really thought about everything this time, huh?" he commented dismayed.

"Yes, so save yourself the trouble, you won't be able to ditch this one," she advised him. "You might as well accept the fact that you have your personal guard."

"I still don't understand why I would need one when I'm at the sanctuary the whole time," he grumbled, stretching out his legs.

"The perks of being Uchiha-sama's partner," she said dryly.

"Yeah, well, it's a perk I can do without. You can tell the bastard that."

"I'll make sure to relay your grievances," she snorted and saluted him almost lazily. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Hm, tell that fussy bastard you call your boss that if he's late again tonight, he'll be sleeping on the couch!" he said sourly.

"But of course. I'm certain that will get him to stop working on time," she snickered and slipped out of the room with a last warning look at Akitomo.

"So, you got stuck with me, huh?" Uzumaki remarked once they were completely alone.

Akitomo blinked, a bit taken aback at being addressed suddenly. "I received the position today, yes."

Blue eyes narrowed. "Bet you thought you were going to guard him, hm?"

He hesitated, but when Uzumaki just kept staring at him expectantly, he begrudgingly answered, "Yes, we were all under the impression that we would be working for him as his personal guard when the position was announced."

"Sorry it ended up being more disappointing," Uzumaki smiled wryly.

"Not a disappointment," Akitomo replied promptly. "Being appointed to protect the partner of the boss is a huge honour."

"Well, at least you know to answer like one of his perfect guards," Uzumaki said amused and stood up, stretching his arms. "If you're stuck with me, I might as well show you the place where you're going to spend most of your days now. Sorry in advance if it's boring."

"No need to apologise, it's part of the job," Akitomo said and opened the door for the blond, who sighed but nodded in thanks.

No, this job wasn't as prestigious as guarding Uchiha would have been, but being appointed to protect his lover was not a position to sniff at either. It was still very high up the ladder and the pay would be the same as if he had been Uchiha's guard.

Although … How many guards had Uzumaki run through that they ended up specifically adding an endurance test to the assessment?

Side-eyeing the humming blond man, he could only hope that he wouldn't end up giving him too much trouble. The last thing he needed was being demoted all because Uchiha's lover apparently didn't agree with having a personal guard assigned to him.

* * *

Being Uzumaki's guard wasn't that bad.

As he had warned Akitomo, he spent most of his days at the fox sanctuary, caring for the animals there. Some had been brought in after being hit by a car and were recovering from the surgery, others had been found as baby still and were brought here to grow up before they would be released into the wild.

Yet some others had just one day wandered into the sanctuary and just had never left again, preferring to stay in the enclosed quarters as opposed to running around in the wild.

Uzumaki had three other people helping him take care of the foxes. A quiet man who constantly wore sunglasses and a large hood, who was called Aburame Shino and who mainly was assigned to take care of the recently wounded foxes. A younger man named Sarutobi Konohamaru, who did mainly odd jobs around the sanctuary and delighted in playing with the younger foxes and a blonde girl named Yamanaka Ino who worked here parttime and took up administering medicine to the foxes and giving the animals regular check-ups.

Uzumaki stood in for the business part of the sanctuary, but he could just as easily be seen flitting about in the place, helping out the others and taking care of the foxes on his own. Despite the many hours he spent here and the rushing about he did, he constantly wore a grin on his face and it was obvious that he was enjoying working here.

"So you're Naruto's new guard, hm?"

Akitomo looked to his left where Yamanaka was leaning her hip against the counter, one slim eyebrow raised. Uzumaki was just outside, still in Akitomo's view, laughing as he and Sarutobi attempted to bathe one of the smaller foxes who had managed to land smackdab in the middle of a mud pool.

He'd been shadowing Uzumaki for two weeks by this point and this was the first time anyone had approached him. "Yes, I am," he confirmed, even though it was useless, given how obvious it was who he was with the way he followed Uzumaki like a shadow.

"Guess Sasuke-kun doesn't give up at all," she smirked, stroking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Given how tenacious businessmen tend to be, that's not a surprise."

"I suppose not," he muttered, realising that Uzumaki's colleagues probably only knew Uchiha as a successful businessman and not as the yakuza leader he was as well.

That was reasonable of course. No sense in letting too many people know what kind of business Uchiha did on the side.

"How is it, spending your time here at a fox sanctuary?" she inquired curiously.

"It's interesting," he admitted. "I hadn't even realised something like this existed."

She nodded. "Yeah, we're rather secluded and Naruto doesn't like to promote it too much, worried that some lunatics might want to hurt the foxes here."

"That has happened before?"

"Oh sure. Mainly farmers who think that a fox sanctuary here means their own animals are in danger," she replied and shook her head. "It's why the fencing is so high-tech, because some people were threatening to harm the foxes."

"They actually threatened him?" he said incredulously. Over a bunch of foxes? What kind of idiots were they?

"Yep, not the smartest of the bunch, those," she sighed. "As much as Naruto doesn't like relying financially on Sasuke-kun, he allowed him to pay for the fencing after some of those threats sounded a bit too realistic."

He had thought that the fences and the gates looked rather high-tech and expensive for someone who led a simple fox sanctuary, but hadn't paid it much thought. He was here to guard Uzumaki, not contemplate his finances. Uchiha's interference made sense; only he would be able to fork out such a large amount of money without even wincing.

He must really love this guy if he was willing to shell out money for a simple fox sanctuary.

* * *

Uzumaki didn't always spend entire days at the sanctuary. A couple of times in the week he drove over to his friend's house; a red haired man whose glare could rival that of Uchiha's and who had Akitomo on edge every time those green eyes of his passed over him.

He had no idea how Uzumaki – a generally likeable guy who loved to joke around and had a grin constantly playing around his mouth – had ever managed to befriend a surly, silent guy like Gaara, who looked like he preferred pulling out nails and cutting people up in his free time over cracking jokes and watching television. It made Akitomo wonder whether Gaara was part of the underworld as well. If he was, then he managed to stay under the radar rather well, considering that Akitomo had never heard of him before.

Friends he and Uzumaki were, though, and so Akitomo found himself frequently at Gaara's place, giving Uzumaki as much privacy as he could without neglecting his duties as a guard.

He accompanied him to his weekly grocery trips as well, and was there when he visited a doctor who he referred to as his grandmother, even though the resemblance between the two stopped at their blond hair.

The only times he could relax his guard duties was when Uzumaki was with Uchiha, be that at the latter's office, at a restaurant or at their house during the day. Even though he could lower his guard for a bit then, he was still supposed to be on duty and nearby, and there were times when he wished that wasn't the case, when Uchiha decided to show that Uzumaki wasn't there to merely look pretty.

Because Uzumaki tended to be quite loud during those times and Akitomo heard more than he would ever want to know about the private life of his bosses. He supposed he should count himself lucky that his duties weren't extended into the night if Uchiha was home, because he was fairly certain they would quickly drive him insane then.

Who knew his stoic boss had such great stamina and was apparently beyond insatiable?

Akimoto wished he didn't know that.

* * *

During one of his rare evenings off, he decided to go to his favourite pub. He'd been working as Uzumaki's personal guard for three months now and while the guy wasn't so high maintenance and wasn't bad to be around, Akitomo was glad that he had an evening off and could relax for a bit.

Spirits lifting at the sight of the pub at the end of the street, he started whistling softly to himself, putting his hands in his pockets. The end of January still had freezing temperatures and tonight was no exception; his breath leaving him in visible vapor clouds, almost looking like he was smoking.

Right as he walked past an alley, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye and he abruptly whirled around, narrowing his eyes. A red haired woman stepped out of the alley; dressed in a long, blue coat. She wore a pair of dark sunglasses, concealing her eyes, which set him immediately on edge.

Why would anyone wear sunglasses at nine thirty in the evening?

"Kurayami Akitomo?" she spoke coolly.

"Who's asking?" he questioned sharply; his fingers edging to the butterfly knife he kept hidden in his pocket at all times.

She smiled; a white flash in the dark. "My employer, N. He has an interesting offer to make to you. Care to listen?"


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hey, look at that, I actually managed to finish this on time! (Mainly by powering through tonight, but whatever *coughs*) Some of you were correct with your guesses who N is, so congratulations :D
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments and your kudos (I can't believe the first part alone already has more than 100 kudos, holy shit O.O); they really made my week!
> 
> Warnings: Short torture scene; time skips; mature content; fluff; double pov
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.
> 
> I hope you'll like this last part!

**Part 2**

Akitomo stared at her, rooted to the spot. N was just as infamous as Uchiha in the underworld for exactly the same reason with just one minor difference: nobody knew how N looked like. Only the people closest to him presumably knew how his face and the rest had to make do with their own imagination.

What they all did know, though, was that N was just as ruthless as Uchiha, cutting down anyone who stood between what he wanted. What N wanted, N got, no matter the sacrifices.

How had someone so high up the food chain heard of him? Sure, he was the personal guard of Uchiha's lover, but as far as he knew Uchiha didn't exactly advertise that he was together with a man. Was he just getting ahead of himself? He was assuming they wanted to talk to him because they knew he worked for Uchiha, but how could they possibly know?

"And why would N be interested in me? I've got nothing of interest to offer to him," he said coolly; his fingers tightening around the butterfly knife.

"I think we both know that's a lie, Kurayami-san," she said amused. "Anyone working so closely with Uchiha has always something of interest to offer to my employer."

"Maybe, but I don't feel inclined to be interested in his offer," he retorted.

"Even if that offer would lead to a substantial raise in wages?" she asked smoothly, quirking one eyebrow.

Against his will his interest was piqued. "How much percent would we be talking about?"

"Sixty-five percent."

"You're joking," he scoffed, staring at her in disbelief. There was no way anyone would offer such a high raise, especially when knowing how much Uchiha paid his private guards already.

Her face significantly cooled. "N does never joke when it comes to money matters, Kurayami-san, and you'd do well to remember that. Would you be willing to hear him out? You're free to decide whether to accept his offer afterwards, but you can hardly refuse when you don't even know what it is."

He wavered for a long moment, a part of him wanting to snub her off and continue with his evening, but the other part – a part which was growing bigger and bigger with each second that passed – was intrigued and wanted to know what N wanted from him that would lead to a sixty-five percent raise. Given the nature of their jobs, it couldn't be anything legal, but …

"Fine, I'll listen," he gave in begrudgingly.

"Thank you for being reasonable," she smiled and plucked a slim device out of her left pocket – a black phone, one of the latest new versions on the market.

She tapped a couple of times on the screen and held it against her ear; her eyes still remaining concealed behind her glasses, but there was no doubt she was looking at him, most likely making sure he wouldn't suddenly run off.

"N, Kurayami-san is willing to listen to your offer," she said abruptly and just as abruptly handed over the phone to him.

"Kurayami-san, I'm glad to hear you're willing to discuss my offer," a smooth, deep man's voice resounded in his ear and he swallowed, his entire body on full alert now that he was talking directly to one of the biggest kingpins of the underworld.

"Well, if you go to the trouble of looking me up and sending a lovely lady to wait for me, I guess the least I can do is listen to what you have to offer me," he said, faking his bravado as much as he could.

N laughed quietly; the sound doing weird things to his nerves. "I'm not going to beat around the bush," he stated, the laugh gone, replaced by a business-like tone. "It's very simple, Kurayami-san: I'm offering you the position of the top guard in my team and your wages will be raised with sixty-five percent compared to what you're earning now underneath Uchiha."

"What's the catch? I doubt the offer is because of my guard skills," Akitomo said sceptically.

"Don't underestimate yourself, from what I hear you're one of the best," N said; some amusement creeping back in his voice. "But you are correct that this offer doesn't come for free. In exchange for the top position and the sixty-five percent raise, I want you to bring Uzumaki Naruto to me. If you do that, the promotion will be yours."

"Why do you want him?" Had he been mistaken after all? Did the underworld know about Uchiha's lover? None on Uchiha's team had ever mentioned that he would have to look out for threats from the underworld and while they loved to see him flounder about, he thought they would have informed him about a potential threat. They wouldn't risk putting their boss' lover at risk.

"Hm, let's just say that Uchiha and I go way back and he needs to be taken down a peg," N said vaguely. "Losing his precious whore would do the job just fine. He might think he's subtle, but everyone knows his weak spot. I want to hit him where it hurts before the riffraff starts getting any ideas. I'm sure you understand."

"You're asking me to go directly against Uchiha-sama," Akitomo said flatly. "Full offence meant: are you insane?"

It was a risky thing to ask, especially with N's employee standing not even three feet away from him, but really, what else did he expect him to say? It _was_ insane, going against Uchiha. The boss took good care of his men, but the moment you stepped out of line … Akitomo had heard enough stories to know Uchiha wasn't one to be trifled with. He'd like his limbs to remain attached to his body, thanks.

Instead of being offended, N just laughed, clearly amused. "Not insane at all, Kurayami-san. If I was, I wouldn't have been able to lead my imperium for so long. I'm fully aware I'm asking something very risky of you, which is why the reward is so substantial. I'm a firm believer of rewarding everyone according to the amount of work they put in," he answered lightly. "You give me Uzumaki Naruto and in return, I'll make you my head guard and you'll earn more money than you'll ever know what to do with. I will be awaiting your reply, have a good night."

The call ended before Akitomo could think of anything to say in reply and he stood there blinking at the device for a short moment before it was deftly plucked out of his hand.

"You have until Monday seven p.m. to give us your answer," the woman told him, pressing a business card in his hand. "You can contact N through this number. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Kurayami-san."

A car paused in front of the curb and she got inside, not even sparing him one more glance before the car drove away.

Leaving him standing, frozen as a statue in the middle of the footpath, his thoughts whirling around and the edges of the card digging into the vulnerable flesh of his palm.

* * *

As he stared at Uzumaki trying to coax a shy fox from underneath a pile of sticks on Saturday afternoon, his mind flashed back to the conversation he had had the night before with the mysterious N.

The entire night had been spent turning restlessly around in his bed, repeating the phone call over and over again in his mind like a tape recorder stuck on repeat. He hadn't even gone to the pub, had gone straight home after that conversation, too unsettled to enjoy some beers.

Deliver Uzumaki to N and he would be rewarded handsomely for it.

What was the beef between N and Uchiha that N was willing to go as far as taking Uchiha's lover from him? Sure, targeting family and lovers wasn't unheard off in their world, was par for the course, really, but as far as he was aware of, Uchiha hadn't had any dealings with N to the point that N might want to take revenge by stealing his lover from him.

Then again, what did he really know about Uchiha? He wasn't part of his personal guard team, wasn't his secretary nor part of his family. Who knew? Maybe Uchiha had done something outrageously enough that N was seeking revenge by hitting him where it would hurt he most: taking his lover from him.

Was he planning on killing Uzumaki or would he take him to be his personal toy? Could go either way; he very much doubted N was planning on letting Uzumaki go once he had him.

Could he do this? Hand over Uzumaki, betray Uchiha, all for a pay raise? There was the fact that with that pay raise he would never have to worry about money for the rest of his life.

Sure, Uchiha paid him handsomely enough especially considering he was merely guarding his lover and not the boss himself, but well, when had extra money ever hurt anybody? He could buy a vacation home in the Bahamas, could buy all the things he had ever wanted without feeling guilty about spending the money.

Never worry about bills again, get the top position he'd been dreaming of ever since he started his job as guard … Get the respect he deserved to have, should have got considering his skills …

It was a sweet deal, no doubt about that.

Very dangerous too. If Uchiha found out who had betrayed him, he would never stop hunting him down, he was sure of that. Uchiha wasn't a man who let betrayal slide.

But the raise … He could already imagine the number on his bank account steadily climbing up, could already imagine the prestige he would get for being the personal guard of the illustrious N.

It was a risky and dangerous deal, yes, but the rewards were definitely worth it. In that regard at least, N knew how to negotiate very well. But then again, what had he suspected from someone sitting on the top of the underworld? The Uchiha family was one thing, but N was on a completely different level.

Hadn't he always wanted to be respected and acknowledged for his skills? Sure, being Uzumaki's guard wasn't anything to sniff at, but it wasn't the same as guarding the boss. It would never be the same. Did he want to stay here, day in day out, in a goddamn fox sanctuary of all places?

Did he want to hear Uzumaki cooing at foxes for the rest of his career, cuddling them like they were kittens?

He couldn't really say he was looking forward to that.

But did he want to risk it all for a pay raise and a higher position?

* * *

"Good evening, Kurayami-san. I trust you have an answer for me?"

"If you can assure me that Uchiha won't be able to get me after this, then I'm in." He took a deep breath. "I'll bring Uzumaki to you then."

N chuckled. "But of course I can assure that. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Kurayami-san."

"Call me Akitomo."

"All right … Akitomo. This is what I need you to do."

* * *

The plan was relatively simple. He was asked to email both Uchiha's and Uzumaki's schedule in order to choose the day on which it had to happen.

It hadn't been easy getting a hold of Uchiha's schedule, but a bit of flirting had seen him leaving the office on Tuesday with a copy of the boss' schedule for the upcoming two weeks. He sent that off together with Uzumaki's schedule and was quickly informed that he would be bringing Uzumaki to N on Friday evening as that was the first evening Uchiha would be too busy conducting his side business to spend time with his lover.

All Akitomo had to do was dissolve some sleeping pills in one of Uzumaki's drinks and once the blond was asleep, bundle him up in the car and drive him to an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the town. It had been abandoned for years and while plans had been made to completely demolish it and create a park of sorts, so far no progress had been made and people with less than nice intentions made eager use of that place.

He didn't think the warehouse was N's hideout. Most likely that was only a temporary stop so that he could prove he did have Uzumaki with him and wasn't trying to cheat them out of money.

"Here." He placed the glass with iced tea in front of Uzumaki on the table, who startled a bit and looked away from the television.

"Oh, erm, did I ask for a drink?" he asked confused, tilting his head to the right.

Akitomo smiled faintly, taking up his usual spot behind the couch. "No, but Karin informed me that the boss is worried you're not drinking enough."

Blue eyes rolled in exasperation. "Honestly, he should focus on his own health more instead of nagging me about mine. Not drinking enough, honestly."

In spite of his complaints, he did pick up the glass and started sipping from it, engrossed in the tv show once more. At the beginning he had tried to convince Akitomo to sit next to him on the couch – "Seriously, it's so creepy having you looming behind me, no offence." – but Akitomo's worry about what Uchiha would say should he catch them so close together had made him refuse time and time again.

Hozuki had been more than clear when he had warned Akitomo that Uchiha didn't appreciate men sitting too close to his lover. He only made exception for a select few and guards weren't included in that exception apparently.

It didn't really matter to Akitomo. Guarding someone was easier when he had to keep standing because it kept him alert. If he sat down, he might become too relaxed and while he doubted anyone would break in the house, it was better to be safe than sorry.

He smiled wryly then, acknowledging the irony of his thoughts now that he was planning to take Uzumaki away.

Well, he had never claimed to be perfect.

* * *

The sleeping pills took longer to take effect than he had expected, but eventually after a bit longer than half an hour, Uzumaki's head started to dip down, his eyelids drooping closer and closer. He was clearly fighting against the pills' influence, muttering things too lowly for Akitomo to pick up, but stubbornness took him only so far and then he slumped sideways into the corner of the couch, his empty glass escaping his loose grip, tumbling down on the floor and rolling across the rug, coming to a stop against one of the table's legs.

"Uzumaki-sama?" Akitomo called out, more to check whether the blond man was really asleep than out of any real concern for the other one. He could see him breathing still, so obviously the sleeping pills had been just that: meant to put him asleep.

He waited two minutes longer to be sure, but then he stepped around the couch and heaved the unconscious man in his arms, grunting a bit underneath the weight. He wasn't exactly weak, but Uzumaki was nothing but pure dead weight now and he was sweating a bit by the time he dumped him in the back of his car.

"I don't know how the boss manages to throw you across his shoulder every damn time," he muttered, taking a second to wipe some of the sweat on his brows away before he slammed the door shut and slipped behind the wheel.

"Let's get you to your new home," he muttered and started the car. "And let's hope to god that N is keeping his word, because I don't fancy an arsehole full of bullets once Uchiha figures out what happened."

By that time he and N would normally be long gone if N kept his word. And if he didn't …

He patted the gun in his pocket. If he didn't, then he had his own way of getting out of the deal.

* * *

Only when he was right in front of the warehouse could he spot the faint light peeking from underneath the rusty door. A cool breeze caressed his face when he stepped out of the car, only a couple of stars in the dark sky witness to what he was about to do.

Checking one last time whether the gun was still in his pocket, he opened the door to the back of the car, hooked his arms underneath Uzumaki's shoulders and dragged him out of the vehicle; his feet hitting the ground with a dull _thump_.

He laid him on the ground for a moment, rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath before bending down and picking him up bridal style. Uzumaki was still completely out for the count, his head rolling uselessly back and forth across Akitomo's arm as he marched over to the door as quickly as the dead weight in his arms allowed him too.

A silver haired man with a mask covering the lower half of his face opened the door before he could think of knocking and stepped away, waving him lazily inside.

"He's here, N," he announced; one hand casually tucked away in the pocket of his leather jacket.

N was waiting a bit further, standing right underneath the only light currently working. He was a bit taller than Akitomo and wore dark jeans, but that was all Akitomo could say, because the man's face was completely hidden underneath a dark hood. Keeping his identity a secret even now, huh?

He wondered if N was even a mystery to his closest employees. He guessed he would find out soon.

"Ah, Kurayami-san, good evening," N greeted him friendly. "I'm pleased to see you upheld your part of the deal."

"A deal's a deal," Akitomo said and shrugged, placing Uzumaki on the ground. "Now how are we going to do this? I assume we'll be leaving for another place now?"

"You assume correctly," N said pleasantly. "Kakashi, if you will."

Akitomo didn't think of looking around, guessing the man at the door would start another car or so.

That was his mistake.

He only heard the leather jacket groaning once before something blunt and heavy thwacked him right across the back of his head. Pain exploded instantly and his vision blackened out before he even hit the ground.

* * *

Waking up was an ordeal he wished he could have put off longer, because his head was absolutely killing him, a headache the size of Japan itself pounding away like a hammer itself was still slamming down on him.

Wake up he did, though, and he groaned, confused as to what the fuck was going on. He had brought Uzumaki to N and then – had he been knocked out by that one guy? Why the hell would they do that? Was this some kind of twisted challenge, see how much he could take? Was that it?

"You're finally awake. Took you a fair bit," someone informed him dryly.

Slowly, ignoring the merciless pounding of his head, he looked up, his insides turning to ice when he saw two men leisurely approaching him.

One was N, still wearing his hood, while the other one was –

"You were supposed to be away on business," he said dumbly; dread quickly unfolding within him, filling his stomach like lead.

Uchiha stared at him unimpressed. "And I would assume you would have known better than to think you could get my schedule so easily. She wouldn't be my secretary if she was that easily swayed – unlike others," he sneered.

"I don't get it," Akitomo said numbly, looking back and forth between the two men. "How do you – how do you two know each other?"

"I guess you could say we're so close I consider him my son-in-law," N said cheerfully.

That made Uchiha snort and shake his head, side-eyeing the other man. "How long have you been sitting on that one?"

"Ah, quite some time, I have to admit," N chuckled. "I'm so glad I could finally use it!"

"I don't – I don't – you said I needed to bring Uzumaki to you!" Akitomo said shrilly, panic rapidly building as he realised _just how fucking screwed he was now_.

"Hm, that I did indeed." Hands rose up and tugged the hood down, revealing awfully familiar blond hair and gleaming blue eyes. The man in front of him did not have any strange whisker marks on his cheeks, but similarity was hard to ignore and Akitomo could only sit there, bound to a chair, and gape at N, who was –

"Pleased to make your acquaintances, Kurayami-san. The name's Namikaze. Namikaze Minato, Naruto's father," he introduced himself pleasantly, but the cold glint in his eyes was far from pleasant, sucking away all the warmth that might have ever existed in this place.

"I don't – I don't understand," Akitomo whispered, wide-eyed, feeling like he was going to throw up any second now.

N was Uzumaki's father? N, one of the biggest players in the underworld, on equal grounds with Uchiha, was Uzumaki's father? Uzumaki was the son of a yakuza leader? What the fuck was going on here?!

"Can't blame you, nobody ever does," Namikaze said conversationally. Almost absently he retrieved a knife from within his coat; the metal blade gleaming threatening in the light. "I suppose that's a good thing, though, because it makes this a lot easier."

"Wh-what do you mean, this?"

"Weeding out the greedy fuckers," Uchiha said bluntly; his dark eyes as icy as the north pole itself. "Staying loyal is so hard to accomplish when you only have dollar signs in your eyes, huh?"

"I didn't – I wasn't planning on really handing him over, I swear!" Akitomo babbled panicky, shouting when the knife was planted right between his legs, dangerously close to his groin.

"You know, I would believe that bullshit a lot more if you hadn't dumped my son right in front of me," Namikaze said coldly. He turned to look at Uchiha. "I let you have a go first, given that this was an ex-employee of yours."

"That's much appreciated, thank you," Uchiha murmured, rolling his sleeves up. He'd discarded his coat, leaving him in just a pristine white shirt and black slacks.

Namikaze rose up and clasped Uchiha's shoulder almost fatherly before he left the room, throwing one last wink at a petrified Akitomo.

"L-look, boss, can't – can't we talk it out?" Akitomo asked nervously, his voice rising to a high pitch. "I just – I made a mistake, I know, and I shouldn't have done it, but -" He screamed when a goddamn _shuriken_ of all things embedded itself deeply in his right thigh, ripping straight through his muscles.

"A mistake would be forgetting to pick up Naruto when he's waiting," Uchiha said deadly calm, circling behind him. "A mistake would be upsetting Naruto by making fun of his sanctuary. _That_ is a mistake. I do not call bringing him straight to an enemy a mistake, Kurayami – I call that _betrayal_."

He circled back in front of him and forced Akitomo's head up by placing a knife underneath his chin; the sharp tip of it pushing into tender flesh. "And if there's one thing I'll never forgive, it's subordinates betraying me," he stated coldly. "You could have made it so far, Kurayami, if only you had been a bit smarter."

"N-n-no, please!"

Black eyes flashed and absurdly Akitomo was remembered of the time Hozuki had warned him; the man not smirking for once.

" _Whatever you do, don't ever betray the boss. You signed a deal with the devil and you best keep it, my man, before the devil decides to extract payment."_

It had sounded so theatrical back then, even verging on the edge of a stupid cliché. Those words didn't sound so theatrical anymore when the knife was slammed straight into the middle of his left hand before it was ruthlessly pushed down, hacking his hand in two.

The devil was pissed and ready to extract payment and there was nothing that would hold him back anymore.

* * *

"That took longer than I thought," Naruto remarked when Sasuke finally trudged into their bedroom; his face still resembling thunderclouds. "You finished punishing him?"

"Why is it so goddamn hard to just stay loyal?" Sasuke snapped, roughly unbuttoning his shirt.

Naruto didn't take the tone personal, knowing it wasn't him Sasuke was pissed off with. "Well, my parents can be rather persuasive," he remarked, closing his book and putting it on the nightstand.

"Oh please, you don't have a problem staying loyal to me and your parents tried to hook you up with Hyuuga," Sasuke grumbled, glaring at him.

The blond shrugged, uncrossed his legs and slipped off the bed, padding over to the dark haired man to help him before too many buttons would meet their early demise.

"Yeah, but I'm also more stubborn than them. Besides, Neji and I would never have worked out. He already became squeamish when he caught just a glimpse of my sex toys, asking me whether I was really planning on keeping them when I was with him, while you," he finished unbuttoning the shirt and shoved it down Sasuke's arms, discarding it on the floor, "asked if you could use them on me."

Sasuke shrugged, one of his hands sliding around Naruto's neck and clasping him there. "What can I say? You look hot when you fuck yourself with them in front of me."

"And that's one of the reasons why I'm with you and not with Neji," Naruto murmured, rising up to kiss him. "Because you know how to handle me and Neji would never be able to do that."

"Damn right he wouldn't," Sasuke growled and when their mouths met next, the kiss turned a lot more demanding, hot hands sliding down his back to grab his arse; the pressure behind them making Naruto jump up and swing his legs around Sasuke's waist.

"Did you make him pay?" Naruto asked, his breath leaving him in a rush when Sasuke strode to the bed and dumped him roughly on top of it before climbing between his legs.

"We made him pay until he was begging for mercy," Sasuke answered him; his eyes burning almost unholy.

It shouldn't be such a turn on, Naruto realised, to hear how his boyfriend had tortured a guy to death all because he had been disloyal and tried to hand Naruto over. It shouldn't be, but goddamn it, it was, and he hurriedly unzipped Sasuke's slacks, wanting nothing more than to have him inside him.

"Someone took advantage while he waited," Sasuke smirked when his fingers dipped between Naruto's cheeks, feeling the slicked and stretched entrance.

Naruto pouted, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and tugging him closer. "Well, what else was I supposed to do while you kept me waiting here?" he complained, mewling when Sasuke nuzzled the spot underneath his left ear at the same time three fingers slipped inside him.

Hips rolling in response to the stimulation, Naruto continued, a tad breathless, "So, I thought I might as well do something useful with the time I had."

"You're unbelievable," Sasuke told him, but awe coloured his voice and he shook his head, swallowing Naruto's hiss when he pulled his fingers back, only to thrust inside immediately, not giving him any chance to acclimate. "I've got no idea what I did to deserve you."

"You've got a great dick," Naruto informed him, grinning, and was rewarded with a harsh thrust that had him seeing stars and arching his back with a loud moan.

No further words were exchanged then, except for some half-hearted attempts on Naruto's side to utter Sasuke's name, but those attempts were always brutally squashed by the relentless pressure against that bundle of nerves, which had his legs spasming on either side of Sasuke's hips and his nails scratching reddish lines down Sasuke's back as he babbled nonsense he wouldn't be able to remember anymore once they were finished.

* * *

He was still coming down from his high when he recalled what he had been thinking about earlier and he smacked Sasuke's chest, making the other man grunt.

"What?"

"I was thinking, seeing as I'm getting tired of having to pretend to be drugged every goddamn three months, I could suggest a personal guard to you?" Naruto asked hopefully, sitting up. The sheet wrapped around him dropped down, pooling around his hips.

One black eye opened, regarding him sceptically. "And who would this guard be?"

"Gaara," Naruto replied, grinning when that made Sasuke sit up, suddenly alert. "I talked to mum and dad about it already and they're more than fine with him being my personal guard."

Probably because Gaara could be just as ruthless as dad, Sasuke and Kakashi combined. His friend had never been hesitant in picking up any lessons Naruto's dad and Kakashi had deemed to give him and he definitely wasn't the type to hesitate.

He also was loyal to a fault to Naruto and would never betray him. Naruto knew Gaara would sooner slit his own throat than even consider ratting him out to an enemy and that was something mum and dad knew very well too.

After all, Gaara had been the first friend they had ever approved of and that was because Gaara had beat the shit out of a rival yakuza member when they had been just nine years old and the guy had been about to grab Naruto off the street.

Naruto had never liked the thought of having a personal guard, but if it was Gaara, he wouldn't mind. Gaara was his best friend and both mum and dad knew him well enough by now that they wouldn't insist on putting him through the loyalty test dad and Sasuke had devised.

Honestly Naruto was getting a bit fed up of having to pretend to be drugged every couple of months whenever he got a new guard and being forced to listen to them spewing derogatory shit about either him or Sasuke.

He understood why Sasuke and his parents insisted on testing the guards, but really, this was getting a bit out of hand!

"It's true that we can trust him not to betray you," Sasuke mused thoughtfully.

"Exactly! I have a new guard, which will make you and my parents happy, and I don't have to put up with stiff people looming over me, it's a win-win situation!" Naruto declared, clapping his hands once;

"You know we just want you to be safe," Sasuke sighed, reaching out to palm his hip.

"I know that, and it's why I put up with it. But I also don't want to have to repeat that test every time you get a new guard for me," Naruto said and crawled in his lap. "You know Gaara is more than skilled enough to be my guard and he's so loyal he's more likely to kill the person wanting to buy his loyalty than to betray me."

"You really thought this through, huh?" Sasuke remarked amused; a faint smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"I got my persuasion skills from somewhere, you know," Naruto told him flippantly, smiling when Sasuke laughed.

"Well, all right then. Guess I won't mind Sabaku guarding my biggest treasure," Sasuke murmured and sealed their mouths together.

Naruto really wanted to say something about that cheesy line, but as fingers slipped between his thighs, he decided it wasn't worth it.

He got what he wanted after all: his best friend as his personal guard and Sasuke back with him.

As far as he was concerned, that was more than enough for him.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN2: There's a possibility I might return to this universe if I get inspired again, we'll see. For now this is the end :) I hope you enjoyed this two-part!
> 
> Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
> 
> I hope to see you all back in my future stories! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!
> 
> Cuddles
> 
> Melissa

**Author's Note:**

> AN2: I'm ridiculously excited about what I'm planning for the next part, because I'm pretty sure it's a twist none of you will see coming :D You're free to make guesses of course!
> 
> So yes, this is the first part of my self-indulgence. I hope it wasn't too awful! Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me!
> 
> I hope to see you all back in the next part! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!
> 
> Cuddles
> 
> Melissa


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